Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work

In the year of her 80th birthday, Queen Elizabeth II granted filmmakers an exclusive look inside the modern British monarchy. Viewers join Her Majesty and the rest of Britain's most famous family as they travel abroad, work at the palace and meet people from all walks of life, This series offers a glimpse behind the velvet curtain to reveal what life is really like as a member of the family firm.

Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work Previous Broadcasts

The State Visit (Part 2) (Episode #102)

KQED Plus: Wed, Apr 13, 2011 -- 9:00 PM

How do American hosts entertain a monarch who has visited nearly every country on earth and dined with 10 U.S. presidents over the course of her 55-year reign? "The State Visit" follows the elaborate preparations as four localities get ready for a visit from the queen. At the site of the United States' first permanent British settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, the chief archeologist brushes up on royal etiquette. In Williamsburg, Virginia, nervous hotel staff make sure they prepare Her Majesty's room to an exacting standard of perfection. The White House hosts the first and only white-tie dinner of the administration and plans for every contingency, including canine misbehavior. In the royal household, they've invited celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz for a formal photo shoot with the queen, although Liebovitz's request to seat Her Majesty on a horse inside the state apartments proves a bit too much. In exclusive interviews, Liebovitz shares her desire to capture the essence of monarchy, First Lady Laura Bush personally leads a private tour of the White House and the queen's press secretary reveals the challenges of keeping up with her boss. Behind the scenes and at her side from beginning to end, "The State Visit" shows what it takes to plan and execute an official visit from the queen.

Repeat Broadcasts:

KQED Plus: Thu, Apr 14, 2011 -- 3:00 AM

Head of State (Episode #104)

KQED Plus: Thu, Apr 28, 2011 -- 3:00 AM

For the dramatic ritual that opens Parliament, the queen's coachmen don full livery, and two of her horse-drawn carriages parade through the streets. One holds the queen the other carries the crown jewels. "Head of State" leads viewers through the elaborate state opening of Parliament from the secret removal of the crown jewels from their Tower of London vault to the moment when the House of Commons slams the door in the face of the queen's representative to the eventual conclusion when the rowdy Commons stand before their queen. Not all of the queen's state responsibilities require full regalia. "Head of State" also attends the weekly private audience between Her Majesty and the British prime minister. It's his duty to keep the queen informed. It's hers to listen and to impart the wisdom gleaned from nine of his predecessors. The royal job also entails extensive travel. Although the queen has seen almost every country on earth, no monarch has ever set foot in the former Soviet republics of the Baltic states. In a historic visit to the newly democratic Republic of Estonia, the ambassador, his wife and their staff have attended to every detail.

The State Visit (Part 1) (Episode #101)

KQED Plus: Wed, Apr 27, 2011 -- 9:00 PM

How do American hosts entertain a monarch who has visited nearly every country on earth and dined with 10 U.S. presidents over the course of her 55-year reign? "The State Visit" follows the elaborate preparations as four localities get ready for a visit from the queen. At the site of the United States' first permanent British settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, the chief archeologist brushes up on royal etiquette. In Williamsburg, Virginia, nervous hotel staff make sure they prepare Her Majesty's room to an exacting standard of perfection. The White House hosts the first and only white-tie dinner of the administration and plans for every contingency, including canine misbehavior. In the royal household, they've invited celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz for a formal photo shoot with the queen, although Leibovitz's request to seat Her Majesty on a horse inside the state apartments proves a bit too much. In exclusive interviews, Leibovitz shares her desire to capture the essence of monarchy, First Lady Laura Bush personally leads a private tour of the White House and the queen's press secretary reveals the challenges of keeping up with her boss. Behind the scenes and at her side from beginning to end, "The State Visit" shows what it takes to plan and execute an official visit from the queen.

Headquarters (Episode #103)

KQED Plus: Wed, Apr 20, 2011 -- 9:00 PM

Buckingham Palace's 650 rooms form the nerve center of the British monarchy. It's from here that the queen directs the business of the royal family, entertains heads of state and conducts her private life. "Headquarters" goes beyond the palace gates for a rare glimpse inside. Ghana's President Kufour and his wife, along with their entourage, have arranged a state visit. The queen's guests will stay in Buckingham Palace's 11 royal suites, where meticulous footmen will valet for them, unpacking and pressing each item of clothing and attending to their every need. For the magnificent banquet, the queen personally reviews the table arrangements and the royal chef certifies that the presentation of every plate is perfect. At the queen's official birthday celebration, thousands of well-wishers gather under the palace balcony; the Royal Air Force flies in formation overhead. After they greet the crowds, members of the House of Windsor head inside for her majesty's private family party. "Headquarters" also follows Queen Elizabeth as she prepares for her annual move to Balmoral in Scotland. While she's gone, 40,000 visitors will tour the royal apartments for a spectacular exhibit of her formal gowns and jewelry, but only after the queen approves the display.

Repeat Broadcasts:

KQED Plus: Thu, Apr 21, 2011 -- 3:00 AM

The State Visit (Part 1) (Episode #101)

KQED Plus: Wed, Apr 6, 2011 -- 9:00 PM

How do American hosts entertain a monarch who has visited nearly every country on earth and dined with 10 U.S. presidents over the course of her 55-year reign? "The State Visit" follows the elaborate preparations as four localities get ready for a visit from the queen. At the site of the United States' first permanent British settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, the chief archeologist brushes up on royal etiquette. In Williamsburg, Virginia, nervous hotel staff make sure they prepare Her Majesty's room to an exacting standard of perfection. The White House hosts the first and only white-tie dinner of the administration and plans for every contingency, including canine misbehavior. In the royal household, they've invited celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz for a formal photo shoot with the queen, although Leibovitz's request to seat Her Majesty on a horse inside the state apartments proves a bit too much. In exclusive interviews, Leibovitz shares her desire to capture the essence of monarchy, First Lady Laura Bush personally leads a private tour of the White House and the queen's press secretary reveals the challenges of keeping up with her boss. Behind the scenes and at her side from beginning to end, "The State Visit" shows what it takes to plan and execute an official visit from the queen.

TV Technical Issues

TV Technical Issues

UPDATE: Comcast was able to resolve their technical glitch apx 10:45pm * * * * * We are aware that at least during the early
part of the evening of Monday 7/20, the audio is out of sync on Comcast/Xfinity channel 10, their basic cable service. This
problem still exists as of 8:10pm. We have […]

(DT9.1, 9.2 and 9.3) There will be 3 very brief outages (apx. 10 seconds each) of KQED’s Over The Air (OTA) DT9 signal
Thurs 6/15, between 10am and 3pm. This is to accommodate preventative maintenance and inspections at Sutro Tower. Most TVs
will recover easily each time the signal is restored, but a few viewers […]

(DT25-1 through 25-3) Another station on Fremont Tower needs to perform more maintenance work overnight, requiring other TV
stations to shut down their signals for the safety of the workers. KQET’s signal will turn off late Thurs/early Friday
between midnight and 12:30am, and should return by 6am Friday morning. Many receivers will be able to […]